Florence's Agerasia
by silverbootlegger
Summary: I think I deserve worse than this, I think to myself. I'm too much of a terrible person to be born in such a kind family. SIOC Implied R27 1827 182769 8059 (and a whole bunch of others)
1. Prologue

**I know I have another story right now, but I just can't help but start this one. I know its not the most original of ideas, but this is more of an experiment on how I can improve in writing character development, both with my made up character, and characters that already exists. **

**Anyway, please enjoy. And review. Please.**

**I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, or any other series or products mentioned in this fic.**

* * *

I died exactly as I have predicted.

Surrounded by shitty people, my privacy screwed over, my beloved treasures desecrated, in the brightest day of the year.

I just knew it was going to come to this. I am a terrible person after all.

I have always been lazy, preferring to lie in bed and play games, watch anime, or surf the internet rather than leave my house and socialize. I order delivery food with my parents' credit card, and If I am motivated enough to go to school, I come late because I just hate wasting energy by running after a full bus, and buses after the first bell are usually empty already. After I (barely) graduated from high school, my mother kicked me out of the house, hoping I will finally get my life together. I failed to tell her that the only reason I graduated is because I have learned how to hack the school system and changed my grades.

Not daughter quality, I know.

I spent the next few months working for the first time, in a convenience store until I was able to get rent. Aside from food, I spent the rest of my money in what I believed mattered most. My collection of online-bought figurines, series mangas, and visual novels grew each month, and reached the point where I almost lost my money.

That's when I turned to thievery. Hacking into banks, into offices, that's how I managed to survive for the next few isolated years of my life. After I got fired from my first and only job, I started working for myself full time, buying more than I can afford, and using someone else's money. That was how they discovered me.

It was a letter, at first, ordering me to hack into the security system of a small time business. It was not as difficult as I am used to, so I took the challenge anyways. A couple of days later, I got a million dollars into my bank account.

Then they contacted me.

They want me to work for them, they said. They will pay good money as long as do my job and keep my mouth shut. I accepted. Soon, these challenges got riskier and riskier, until that day.

That bright, antagonizing summer day. I barely walked out of my apartment when I heard the excited chatter of some neighbors socializing. I sighed and turned back into my apartment, locking the door, and proceeded to close the curtains everywhere in my apartment. I sighed in the coolness that the darkness brought, and settled down in my favorite spot. In front of my computer.

That's when it happened. The door to my apartment was kicked off its hinges and I whined in dismay as splinter rained down on my floor. I looked up in annoyance at the people who suddenly broke into my humble abode and paled.

A whole group of gunmen stood in front of me, each of them holding their guns at the ready, and a small bloodied woman whimpering in one of their arms. They all pointed their gun at me and gestured at my computer. Gulping, I stared at the barrel of the gun pointing at my face, and turned to my computer.

For the first time in my life, I worked hard. As typed away numerous codes, scanned security systems, identified any traps laid out for intruders in whatever place I am risking my life to break into now, I realized that I haven't really been worth anything. I paused for a bit, as the dark screen of my computer and the blinking green letters reflected in my eyes. Why am I so afraid? I haven't really done anything worth any merit. It wouldn't matter if these suspicious men shot me through the head right now. The one watching me work hit me lightly in the head with his gun, and gestured for me to keep going. Ignoring the slight throbbing of where his gun hit my head, I continued.

Finally, after a few moments (or was it hours?) I finally reached the authentication process, and leaned back. The men forced the woman towards my computer, and forced her to type. Watching in horrid fascination, her trembling fingers pressed a button on my keyboard, one by one. Droplets of blood dripped down her arm into my desk, and I wondered if I should do something. I stole a look at her face, and guilt gripped me inside like a painful rope around my neck.

And that's when everything went to hell.

The spray of bullets impacted the gunmen before I could react. Their blood splattered in my face, and to my abject horror, my DRRR bed sheet. The woman who had yet to finish typing stiffened, and dropped on her knees. I screamed, ducking down and crouching beside her. She had four bullet holes in her, red dying her clothes even more. I clamped my hands over my ears and cried as the shelves I meticulously set up for my One Piece ship figures and my numerous series clattered on the ground, bringing with it my beloved collection. It felt like the war of gunshots and the sounds of metal going through flesh was never ending, but it stopped just as fast as this mess started. Thankful of the tears blurring my eyes of the view of the littered bodies scattered in my apartment, I pushed myself up. I turned around, viewing the carnage that my stolen money is worth, and directly into the point of a gun. I blinked, fresh new tears dripping off my eyes. The man behind the gun barely twitched. His steely blue eyes met quivering ones.

"Please," I whispered, and the trigger was pulled. I knew no more.

* * *

The next thing I remember, I am looking into a vast horizon of nothingness, standing as I am. I blinked, and brought my hand into the middle of my forehead, the place where I was shot. _I should have died_, I thought. Where am I? I looked around curiously. Aside from the nothingness stretching out as far as eye can see, there are only ladders. I looked up to the sky, or at least where it should be, and saw that nothingness spread out that far too, completely hiding whatever end the ladders arrive to. I approached the nearest ladder and shoved it. It did not move. Backing away, I tried to locate any area, anything, that would lead me out of this place. I felt myself grow madder, and I took off on a run, past multiple other ladders, all varying in color and styles.

It felt like I ran for ages, when I finally stopped. My strength had not escaped me, and I did not feel a single sliver of fatigue, only fear. The nothingness stretched even farther before, without any sign of an escape. I leaned on one of the ladders in defeat. I have already run for long. What else can I do?

"Climb."

I was surprised when I heard myself say it. I stood and faced the ladder I was just leaning on earlier. That's right! If I can't run any farther, I will just climb up. The least I could do is finally try. That distant memory of what could have been my death, or a dream might have reminded me that I am just human too. I decided, and wandered around again, this time looking for a ladder to climb.

Sudden warmth enveloped me when I passed a ladder. I did a double take and approached it. It was golden, with intricate design similar to the pillars of the 14th century. I grasped one step and I knew, this was what I should climb.

I took a deep breath, and hoisted myself up.

* * *

"Mama, why is your tummy big?"

"Because you're going to have a younger brother, Tsu-kun~"

"Younger brother?"

"Yes, Mama's going to have another baby. That's why Tsu-kun has to grow stronger, so he can help Mama, okay?"

"Okay!"

A small four-year old gently laid his small hands on either side of his mother's rounded belly, and whispered, softly, but just enough for his new brother to hear," I will take care of you, okay? I'll be the bestest big brother ever!"

* * *

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed. I always wondered what the afterlife is like, so I just randomly thought up of ladders leading people to their next life or something. But that's just me. Anyways, please review~ I would really appreciate it.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Oh look, another chapter. How surprising. **

**I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Do you really think I could write something as grand as KHR? Really?**

* * *

When I first came into this world, I cried less than I screamed and kicked in fear. The giant hands that held me up instilled fear more than safety, an that moment I could tell that I was in so much trouble.

* * *

When I learned that I was born into an eastern country (and as a boy, not that I care), specifically Japan, I actually felt conflicted. On one hand, I'm surrounded by everything I love: cherry blossoms, authentic Japanese food, highchool with uniforms, nearby anime stores, and hipster clothes. On the other hand, I don't know how to speak Japanese. I have only ever watched subbed anime in my past life, and I can remember a few curse words, but that's it. Since my entrance to the world, in what looks like autumn, my small weak eyes desperately looked for English signs that might show me where the fuck I was, but all I see are characters around me, and some numbers. I fought the urge to cry as the woman holding me, who I assumed to be my mother, coddled me. It only took a couple of days for both of us to get out of that disturbingly calm hospital. My new mother said something to me and giggled, before getting into a waiting cab in front of the hospital.

* * *

I think I have an older sibling.

I stared stoically at the adorable boy with beautiful brown eyes and gravity-defying hair. He grinned at me and said something that I did not understand, but it must be something good because I heard my mother laugh over me. I smiled in turn.

* * *

It took me a while to figure out my own name.

Sawada Ietsuna.

My mother was known as Nana, and my older brother Tsu-kun, although I am sure it must be short for something else.

Compared to my previous family, the Sawadas are a more uplifting bunch, if not a bit too carefree. My past parents had been strict and domineering, and my siblings ungrateful little shits. The past situation of competition between siblings in my family pushed me to rebel and go against what my parents wanted, and landing me homeless and alone after highschool.

(Technically it was my own fault, but really. Who would want to go out and meet prospective piggy bank/marriage partners, backstab acquaintances for some shady business deals, and make some connections for future references when I could be watching anime instead? That's what I did. Who could blame me? I was a 17 year old high schooler, not some sleazy 40-year old politician.)

Despite her ditzy appearance, Nana was a cautious mother. I was generally a well-behaved child (as much as an assassination victim in a child's body can be), she constantly kept an eye on me. Tsu-kun, meanwhile, always hovered around me in excitement, chattering things too fast for me to understand, but slow enough for me to catch a few words. Even with the language barrier, I found myself getting closer to him as I got to know him. My older brother is loud, energetic, more clumsy than average kids, but is undeniably charming, especially when time is taken to actually pay attention to him. And Nana, with an absent husband that can't help her, a newborn baby, and a household to maintain, is far to busy to take a closer look at her eldest child. Perhaps I have been too unobservant as well, not to notice what had been going on regarding my lovable brother.

It was when I was enrolled into kindergarten at 4 years old when I discovered what everyone else thought of my lovely 10 years old brother.

"Sawada? My older brother said Sawada is stupid because he has bad grades," a pigtailed girl laughed straight at me. Her friends joined it, most probably not understanding what she even said.

(I remember the day before when my brother patiently read a whole chapter of a junior high level book because I waved it around his face for a few minutes.)

"They call him Dame-Tsuna! He's so funny because he always trips," another kid popped in. "And he always forgets to do his homework."

("Tsu-kun, could you please watch Ie-kun for a while? We are out of eggs and vegetables."

"Okay...")

"I heard he sucks at all the sports too! His team always loses whenever he's there!"

(I watched Tsu-kun run around the yard repeatedly. "What are you doing?" I asked after a while.

Taking several desperate breaths, he answered, "Jogging... So I can... Run faster...")

"You're Dame-Tsuna's brother? Wow, you look as lame as him."

(Looking back at the lighter, almost blonde mop of hair, I tugged at the few strands, wishing I looked a bit more like Nana and Tsu-kun. My present appearance reminds me too much of my past self.)

I ignored their laughter and walked away.

On the way home after mother picked me up from school, I plotted on how I would cut them down and grind their faces on the ground without actually doing it physically.

A little bit after me and my mother got home, Tsu-kun arrived as well, panting slightly. His uniform was scuffed and I spotted a few scratches on the palm of his hands. He caught my stare and smiled, and I swear, that moment, a halo materialized above his head and I heard the chorus of cherubs from the heavens.

* * *

I watched impassively as Tsuna sang along to the opening sequence of the show presented on TV. It was quick and upbeat, and the art style of the airing anime made my brain pause. I felt a small sense of familiarity towards the show, and it was apparent to me, when the main characters were featured, what the show was.

"I hate Fullmetal Alchemist," I said. Tsuna pointedly ignored me. "Can we watch Brotherhood instead?"

My older brother murmured a quick "later" and continued on to the chorus of the song. His high pitched voice followed the song well, aside from a few late words. If he practiced, he might even have a better than average voice. Leaning back onto the sofa, I closed my eyes and imagined my brother singing just by himself. I wondered if people would like his voice just as much as I do, and smiled at the thought.

Come to think of it, what shows are available here that I know of? I opened an eye to check on the tv and saw Armstrong's sparkles fill the screen. I shut my eye immediately. So there's really FMA. A small smile made its way to my face. My road to hikikomorism is paved, ready for me to tread in.

* * *

•  
Mother didn't let me explore stores at first, but after some convincing, she let me go as long as Tsu-nii is with me. I got the allowance that I've always dreamt of getting since my rediscovery of anime, and it made me happy, even if it was half of what Tsu-nii usually gets. I was scrolling through the numerous volumes of xxxHolic and Tsubasa when it happened.

I felt a hand grab the back of my collar and drag me out of the anime store. My brother frantically ran out of the place, and took me along with him. I definitely did not squeak, although I did make a sound of discomfort.

"Tsu-nii, what are you doing? I haven't bought anything yet."

He finally slowed down and looked above me, cheeks heating up. I turned to look where he was looking, and saw a couple of kids walking out way. A grey, almost white, haired boy was chatting animatedly with a girl with golden brown hair and looked around Tsu-nii's age. They look slightly familiar, although I really can't put my finger as to where I recognize them from.

"Kyoko-chan can't see me inside an anime store, she'll think I'm lame!" Tsuna exclaimed. I felt my eyebrow twitch in annoyance. "You could just have left me and come back, you know."

He continued staring at the approaching kids, but ruffled my hair. "I'm not going to do that," he replied. "I'm not going to leave my younger brother by himself because I wanted to hide."

So you take me with you instead? I thought. "Who's this Kyoko anyways?"

"Oh, hi Sawada-san!"

My brother turned beet red and stuttered a greeting. I rolled my eyes and turned to the newcomers. A gentle-looking girl waved at me, while the boy beside her was grinning and swaying back in forth on his feet, as if he was ready to run. I could feel the energy permeating off his skin, and I shivered. I prided myself as a person who saved as much energy as I could by doing nothing, and seeing a living battery standing in front of me did nothing to help my status of being constantly tired of everything.

"You really helped me back there with the papers, Kyoko-chan."

So this is Kyoko-chan? I scrutinized her honey-coloured eyes and dimples smile. She has an average eyebrows and flawless skin. Nothing different from other normal kids. But something about her must have gotten my brother crushing for her, so I observed. They had a short regular talk about school that bored me more than my kindergarten teacher's constant reprimands of "No you may not put sand in your classmates food because of something they didn't mean to say". The white haired boy, who turned out to be her older brother (How? I thought to myself) left, yelling something about extreme running. When she finally said goodbye ("You too, little Sawada-san, bye!"), Tsu-nii took me back to the store, sighing dreamily once in a while.

"Tsu-nii, why do you like Kyoko?" I asked as I spent all my allowance on three volumes of No. 6.

"Well, Kyoko-chan is nice to everyone, and she's very cute too! She's really popular. She makes really good cakes that she shares with everyone sometimes, and she draws very well..."

"...and I don't know how, but she beat the biggest guy in our class in arm wrestling! She's really amazing!"

It takes both of us around 30 minutes to get home from the shopping area. Tsu-nii finally finished his rant when we got home. By that time, I had already tuned him out and developed plans for taking over our quaint little town three ways.

1\. Extortion. I will personally deal with the 500 people in the town, and target by family (by person would take too long). I will find their weaknesses by stalking, and look for the socially and monetary big wig and creep my way into their good graces, then stab them in the back and take over their fortune.

2\. Political governance. This will take a longer time, but it has a 50 % chance of success, as long as people know who I am. But then, the chances lowered to 20% when I remembered that I was rude and condescending to most of the people I met.

(Which is not my fault. It couldn't be, I mean I only started hating them because they run their mouths about my brother.)

3\. Love. Even without political power, as long as people know who you are and love you, they're gonna accept your actions. Just look at Justin Beiber. Unfortunately, this is practically impossible for me. I admit that I am lazy, patronizing, and hold grudges for a really long time, and I know especially that people don't like others, especially terrible kindergarteners such as myself.

But something in Tsu-nii's rant gave me an idea.

True, someone like me can't ever be liked by anyone (except maybe masochists, or pedophiles, since I am still young after all), but for someone else, it might be possible.

I vaguely recall Tsu-nii saying that Kyoko is nice to everyone, is pretty, bribes other kids with food, artistic, doesn't pick her nose in class, has a fancy bento she apparently makes herself, cute hair accessories, brought a pet for their class, beat up a student from the grade above theirs, and won an arm wrestling match against some fatass in their class.

Tsu-nii could do all that and more. He just doesn't know that yet.

I smiled at him as he opened my new manga delicately (he knows how careful I am with my things and tries hard to exercise the same habits; I think that's adorable). Then I asked him.

"Tsu-nii, do you pick your nose during classes?"

* * *

**There. The first chapter. Its going to be 3-part childhood arc before starting on to the main plot.**

**I hope you all enjoyed. Reviews would be much appreciated. **


	3. Chapter 2

**Oh look what we've got here. Another update. Wow.**

**I'm thankful to those who read this story and favorited it, and followed it and reviewed. Thank you. Love you guys.**

**I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

* * *

It hit me one day when I was standing in front of our house, when i simply glanced at the nameplate labeled "Sawada".

I remembered where I am and what fictional world I live in and all the troubles that will come along with it.

And I remembered how I had no place in the world.

"Shit." I said.

Then I will have to make my own place here, and no one can stop me.

* * *

"Mama?"

"Yes, Ie-kun?"

"I broke my leg."

* * *

I did not break my leg.

Still, Tsu-nii will have to suffer with me for a while. It's difficult to climb a mountain but it's not impossible.

Even though I carefully positioned my arms around his neck so I don't suffocate him, he still wheezed with exhaustion as he carried me to my school in his back. In addition, he had to carry both my bag and his, so he won't have to go home and grab his school stuff after dropping me off. Despite his obvious weariness, which I felt guilty for, I enjoyed the free piggyback ride, which I did not feel guilty for.

I had begged our mother for Tsu-nii to be the one to drop me off, hinting at her that it may help my brother learn about responsibilities (something she believes Tsu-nii is not capable of; I disagree, he does know of it, he just has some trouble acting on it. But it's why I'm helping him now). She had agreed after a barrage of teary-eyed, puppy eyes from me, so Tsu-nii now had to wake up early every day so we both won't be late for school and preschool. True, we both get disadvantages (I have to deal with mindless adults and other children too early in the morning for me to be comfortable with, while Tsu-nii gets tired in the morning).

I nearly let a tear drop from my eye due to the amount of suffering my dear brother will have to go through just to get stronger.

I noticed when Tsu-nii suddenly switched to the other side of the road. As we passed, a loud barking from one of the houses started up. Ah, angry annoying dogs… A plan blossomed in my mind.

"Are you afraid of dogs, Tsu-nii?" I whispered in his ear.

He yelped, shaking his head. "No, of course not!" But he started sweating more than usual. I grinned. "Of course, you're stronger than the biggest dogs ever, Tsu-nii!"

He laughed nervously.

* * *

It took a couple of weeks for Tsu-nii to get used to carrying me in his back. By the time he had ceased panting pathetically when we reach my school, I had become worried about the amount of common sense present in our house. Because there seemed to be none, as both Tsu-nii and our mother never had once asked me what had caused my broken leg. Both of them are far too ignorant for my comfort, but I will have to take that into my advantage.

On the third week of my faux broken leg, I stuffed my pockets with stolen dog food. As we passed by the same area, the dog that usually barked at us had instead taken a giant leap in the air and had headed towards our direction.

That was when Tsu-nii had started to run during mornings.

* * *

It took a lot more time for Tsu-nii to get used to running with a weight on him than when he was walking, but I was proud to say that he had become more agile. It certainly beat running around our small backyard for exercise. He had gotten used to having me hanging off his back, so I remained there even if I no longer had a "broken leg".

Tsu-nii had become stronger.

Now it was time to become even stronger AND make connections.

One rainy day, I had followed him to his school, not caring if I will most probably get sick. I have to enhance my appearance to look more convincing as a "lost child looking for his nii-sama". If i remember correctly, one Hibari Kyoya should be two years older than my brother, who is in 4th grade. Which means, the totally hot, sharp-eyed, biting monster still be there, striking fear into the hearts of teachers and students alike. All it will take is one unauthorized foot into the school…

Just as I landed a step through the gates of the school, he appeared, an umbrella in hand. Instead of a tonfa, he has a small branch held in the other hand.

I didn't have to pretend to cry. Even as a child he was as intimidating as he was portrayed in the manga. Also he was adorable.

"I want my nii-san," I cried. "Baka-Daiki and Baka-Kaito made fun of my hair again!"

I rubbed my eyes but peeked between my fingers to see if I had him convinced. He was frowning suspiciously at me.

"My nii-san will fight them," I continued. "Because he's the strongest! He even protected me from a bear once. He punched it with one hand. I'll tell him about what those meanies did to me and he'll do that too!"

"Oh?" Got him. "Your brother is the strongest?"

I suppressed a smile behind my mask of tears. I gather that Hibari may see through my facade, but I do know one thing.

He loves being top of the food chain.

* * *

"Hie! Ietsuna, what are you doing here?"

"This herbivore is your "strong" brother?" Hibari glared at me and pointed his branch-weapon at Tsu-nii. I really prefer his good old tonfas compared to that flimsy branch he swings around as a weapon. It makes him seem childish. Then I remembered he **is** a child.

"Yeah," I cheered. "Tsu-nii is the best fighter ever! He even beat a bear!"

My brother paled and quivered where he stood. I think it was coming to him now, what kind of situation he is in. "Ietsuna, what are you saying?" He asked, voice trembling.

Hibari pounced on him before I could reply.

I must say, I am proud of my brother. And myself. The daily "exercise" had made him fast enough to dodge an aggressive 6th grader, at least for 5 minutes until he tripped on his own feet and got beaten up by Hibari Kyoya. I sighed, then sneezed. My brother has a long way to go.

* * *

"Ietsuna, no! You can't do that, we'll get killed...or kidnapped and sold as slaves!" Tsu-nii whispered urgently in my ear as he nervously tugged on the back of my collar to pull me back. I struggled against his hold and reached up to the doorbell will my tiny arm and fingers.

"But mama cooked this already. We can't turn back now," I said, as I successfully pushed the slightly high doorbell.

"Mama said it was for our friends!"

"No offense nii-san, but I don't have friends… And Hibari-san doesn't like sweet things."

"Hibari-san **doesn't** count as a friend!"

"You know, you'll hurt his feelings if you say that to him."

Heavy footsteps can be heard from the other side of the door, and my cute brother whimpered fearfully behind me. The door opened, and a large tanned man answered the door. A deep, long, jagged scar ran down the side of his face and an intricate tattoo of a dragon peeked out the stretched fabric of his shirt. The hand holding on to the side of the doorframe was missing a finger. I felt my brother's hand slacken against my back, and I quickly stomped on his feet to prevent him from losing consciousness.

"Hello sir!" I managed in the most child-like voice I can muster. "My nii-san said he saw that you guys looked kind of sad and serious, so baked this cookies to cheer you up!"

The man stared intimidatingly down at us. Tsu-nii choked.

There's a long pause.

Then the man bent down and ruffled my hair. A grin stretched out his lips and I noticed some of his teeth were replaced with gold ones.

"What nice kids," he laughed. He turned to Tsu-nii and pinched his cheek. "Glad to know kids still got manners 'round this area."

I beamed up at him and nudged my brother. I glanced to the side to see him frozen. "Umm, thank you! Sorry about nii-san, he's really shy, and quiet, but he was really excited about giving you the cookies!"

I handed the basket to the man who took it warily from my tiny hands. He cocked an eyebrow. "What's your names?"

I pointed to myself and announced proudly," I'm Sawada Ietsuna, 4 years old." I patted my brother's arm introduced him as well. "This is my nii-san, Sawada Tsunayoshi. We live a couple of blocks that way!" I pointed to the direction of our house.

Tsu-nii snapped out of his frozen state and whispered harshly in my ear, "Ietsuna, you shouldn't be giving our address to strangers.."

"See what I mean?" I laughed. "Nii-san's shy."

* * *

The intimidating man waved us goodbye from the entrance of the Momokyokai house, cheerily munching on my mother's homemade cookies. I happily waved back while Tsu-nii hesitantly lifted his hand in acknowledgment. Despite his initial appearance, the man was very friendly and had a lot of nice things to say about the cookies. I wondered if mama would want to teach her son how to bake...

"Ietsuna, why are you doing all of this?" Tsu-nii said minutes later.

"Doing what?"

"Getting me into all sorts of trouble!" He yelled. We both stopped walking, and my eyes widened in surprise. "I've been carrying you to your preschool for months now, and your leg isn't even broken anymore! Not to mention Bear-san (the dog) always finds a way to get out of the fence and chase me all the way there!"

I bit my lip and looked to the side.

_Looking around to see if anyone was looking, I stealthily walked over to the house where the dog lives and unhooks the lock on the fence. I nodded in satisfaction and jogged back home before mama notices I was gone, or Tsu-nii wakes up._

"And Hibari-san won't stop chasing and beating me up! He keeps saying things about I was more challenging than anyone he's faced because I've lasted longer than anyone he'd fought before, and I can't believe that he invited me over to his house for a "spar"! And he went to our house to tell me this in front of mama!"

"_Tsu-nii can't say no if mama says yes," I said to the older student. "Mama's very encouraging, you see."_

_Hibari taps his branch on the ground contemplatively. I cringe at the present weapon he has and pray that he gets his tonfas sooner._

"And now giving cookies to yakuza? And you said it was my idea? Why? _Why would you say that?_"

There's only one way out of this without having to explain myself. I scrunched up my face.

Tsu-nii's face morphed from anger into panic. "Oh no," he said.

_Oh yes_, I laughed in my head.

I threw my head back and opened my mouth to wail loudly and force tears out of my eyes. He'll forget about questioning me…for now.

* * *

Extra:

There was a knock on my door.

"Yes?" I said as I opened it. Standing in front of my room was Tsu-nii bruised and battered. Must have been fun for Hibari-san that day.

"Ietsuna," he started seriously. I gulped and met his eyes. "I love you because you're family… But I want you to know that I also hate you because you're terrible."

"Love you too, bro," I replied and shut the door in his face.

* * *

**Ietsuna's a lil shit.**

**Pls leave a review if you enjoyed his royal shittiness.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Oh look, an update. It took a long time, and I'm actually not that satisfied with this. I do hope its alright though.**

**I'd like to thank the reviewers and people who went and liked and followed the story. You guys are awesome!**

**Warning: No school life was destroyed in the making of this chapter.**

**I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

* * *

"Herbivore."

"Hibari-san," I greeted back. I tried to ignore the cold sweat running down my back. He looked down on me, his steely gray eyes boring holes into me. I widened my eyes, and tried to make it more watery than it usually is.

"C-c-can I… C-can I hold your hand..?"

Suddenly a cold metal rod pokked my cheek, and started grinding into the side of my face. It wasn't painful, but was incredibly uncomfortable.

"Ah–uhm H-Hibari-san...can y-you not, p-please—"

"Do you want all your baby teeth knocked out, herbivore?"

"I-im sorry…"

* * *

All chatter stopped when the door to Class 6-B opened and the Demon Prefect of Nanimori walked in. Everyone gaped at the smirking child holding the prefect's hand.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

There was no answer. From the middle of the room, Sasagawa Kyoko, the dear naive girl that she is, replied with her hand raised up.

"Sawada-san is in the Nurse's office. He had an accident during gym class."

I decided to speak up. "Oh no, Hibari-nii—" I ignored the sudden pain that ran up my arm when Hibari nearly broke all the bones in my hand, "it looks like Tsu-niisama keeps lowering himself to herbivore status when you're not there!"

Sasagawa's eyes lit up in recognition. "You're Sawada-san's younger brother, aren't you?"

I nodded. Hibari must have lost patience because he snatched his hand out of mine and marched out, glowering. I watched him leave, and with a big smile, I turned to my brother's classmates.

"Hello, I'm Sawada Ietsuna. Pleased to meet you!"

* * *

"Dame-Tsuna, is it true that you're marrying into Hibari's family?"

"Dame-Tsuna, join the theater club!"

"No, join choir!"

"Dame-Tsuna, y-you can join the Anime Club if you want…"

"BOXING CLUB!"

"Dame-Tsuna, I'm sorry you had to go all through that! If the American Embassy ever comes looking for you, you can hide in my house!"

Tsuna stumbled to his seat, getting more and more confused as his classmates surrounded him, chattering nonsensical things. For the first time ever, they were not mocking him for some reason. Rather, they looked amazed, as if seeing him for the first time.

"Umm… What are you talking about?" Tsuna asked, scratching the side of his face.

"Your monkey brother came by," a girl from the side answered.

Tsuna facepalmed.

* * *

"...and my brother said that girls are stupid, so they only go out with guys for money!"

"Ehhh? That's so mean, Daiki-kun~"

I gritted my teeth at the stupid display. I longed to go up to the group of sexist, teacher's pets standing in the middle of the playground like they own the place. There were 6 of them, all possessing some sort of connection and material object that somehow makes them better than the rest of us. With that mindset, they became the primary bullies that I have encountered.

And I was their primary target.

Unlike my mother and my brother, I posses my father's more foreign features, and although I promised myself I'm going to be good looking when I hit puberty (as I promised myself to change every year, and never do), my face had made me an outsider. I became the kid who was different from everyone else, and not in a good way. The gaijin.

To be honest, I don't care much.

But when they mentioned my mother and my brother, now they've made it personal.

I assessed each one of them, plotting from afar.

* * *

"Herbivore, why are you here?"

I wordlessly held a bento up to him, with his favorite food inside. That time when Hibari had been forced to hold my hand after flat out rejecting my request, I went back the next day with my mother and some hamburger steak.

Just like Nii-san, he can't say no to mom.

"I'm sorry Hibari-san, but do you know someone named Yukimura Eiji?"

"Hn. Herbivores don't interest me. Ask your brother."

That means my brother would know who he is. It could be someone who Hibari-san might even have beaten up before. I nodded, tilting my head. "Okay. Thank you, Hibari-san."

I left, heading back to my house for some freshly baked cookies.

* * *

"Ah, Gomu-san!" I waved at the suspicious looking man lumbering around. He was a thin, sleazy looking man, with slicked back hair and a cigarette nearly running out in his mouth. As soon as he saw me, he took it and threw it on the ground, smothering the end with the sole of his shoe.

The man straightened up and waved back. "If it isn't the tinier Sawada-chan! What are you doing wandering alone? Where's your brother?"

Gomu-san is one of the local yakuza members me and my brother had gotten close to lately. We haven't been to the actual base many times since the first time we went, but I made sure to spot any of the recognizable ones whenever I could, and forced my brother to interact with them. They have most likely done a screening on me and my brother's background, as they still communicates with us. Otherwise we would have been dead. It was a risk, considering my family was Vongola, but from my few visits, the Momokyokai yakuza seem to be a more traditional bunch compared to the technologically advanced Vongola. Besides, if my father was able to completely conceal us from any assassins that might have come for us, then the security of Vongola shouldn't be that pathetic.

"Nii-san has club activities today," I answered before biting into a cookie. I offered my bag of cookies to the yakuza. He said thanks and took one.

"I gotta walk you home, who knows how many suspicious people there are up and about 'round here." I avoided mentioning that he was one of them.

"Okay," I said. He marched me home, finishing the rest of the cookie he took. On the way back, he fished out another cigarette from his pocket and lit it up with some fancy looking lighter.

"Wow!" I said, amazed.

He looked at me, and eyebrow raised.

"That's a cool-looking lighter! Can I see?"

He shrugged. "Meh, why not."

When he handed the lighter to me, I once again questioned adult's common sense in this town.

I ogled the lighter for a bit, and looked back up at him, widening my eyes in innocent facade.

"Can I have it?"

He snatched it back from my hand and pocketed it. "No."

I let my face fall, and I started dragging my feet. I hunched my back, and looked dejectedly to my feet. Sensing me falling back, the yakuza member paused and looked at me. I made sure to look extra sad.

I kept it up for a few more minutes, and a block away from home, he sighed and took out a lighter, a different one this time, and handed it to me.

I gazed up at him. He smiled at me. "This one's empty, so it's okay."

Meeting his eyes, i grinned. Of course it's not okay to give lighters to children, but I'm not complaining.

I hugged the Yakuza member, chattering excitedly about taking care of it or something. But I smiled for an entirely different reason.

* * *

If there's one thing I hate about children, is that they are so annoyingly loud.

But just for this moment, boy am I glad that kids can't keep their tiny fat mouths shut.

Just by listening from afar (I feel like a character from Assassin's Creed) I was able to gather some information to be able to take action.

Watanabe Kaito prides himself as the smartest of our bunch. He's the type who always gets to school early, and leaves almost last, because he "was helping the teacher". In class, he is one of the most behaved, and I can actually tolerate him. In the playground, however…

I concluded that he wasn't the smartest outside of class. Aside from hanging out with the other brainless bullies, he follows what they do as well, thinking that theyre cool.

I hovered just at the edge of the playground, looking for stones. For the past week, I've been trying to start fires stone age style, and so far I've succeeded twice, after the sting of blisters on my hand faded into a dull ache that I can ignore. I was well near the back of the school, where people can barely see me, and I liked it that way.

I heard footsteps behind me, and I ignored it, thinking it was just some kid wandering around. I looked back when I heard the footsteps stop behind me.

"What are you doing, you stupid foreigner?" I rolled my eyes and ignored Kaito. All he's got going for him is his academic intelligence, so I don't find him a problem at all.

But then he kicked me on the side. I gasped, not expecting an aggressive move from a kid who can barely reach past an adult's desk. I whipped my head and glared at him.

"I don't have time to deal with a stupid brat like you," I spat, and walked away.

He must not have liked the word "stupid" or "brat" because he yelled at me.

"I'm not stupid! Take that back!"

"I'm not taking back what's true!" I yelled back at him.

"Your brother's stupid," he retorted. I stopped dead in my tracks.

He continued. "I heard from Daiki that he's so stupid, he can't even get good grades, and he's so clumsy!"

I slowly looked back at him. I must have looked angry because he had a triumphant look on his face.

"And you're mom's stupid too! I heard sensei said that she got left behind by her husband because you're all stupid and he didn't want you!"

I marched up to him, getting right in his face. I'm going to tear him apart.

"Shut up, you accident. You think you're so smart, aren't you? Talking about everything like you know what you're saying. You're nothing. Just because you think youre smarter than the other kids doesn't mean you're better than them. I'm sick and tired of hearing you brag about everything you've done and you're going to do. Guess what? Nobody cares. Not the teachers, not your stupid elitist friends, not me, so you better shut your fucking mouth, you piece of shit!"

Later I regretted everything I ever said, and regretted it for the years to come. Because I understood then, that I was unnecessarily cruel, and that I chose to be, even when I was an adult speaking to a child who did not deserve to hear everything I said about him to his face. But that was not now.

I turned my back, and walked away. There was a yell, and I felt something hit the back of my head. I fell on my hands and knees, reeling from the shock.

"Take that back!" I vaguely heard, and I felt a weak fist hit my head again. And again. And again. There was yelling, and I think I might have seen Kaito's face, tears flowing angrily down his cheeks when I fainted.

* * *

"Is this the first time he's ever hit you?" I glanced from my blistered hands to my teacher, and back.

"No," I lied. "He hit me before too."

I forced tears through my dry eyes, and sniffed. "They hate me because I don't belong."

"They?" My teacher asked. I laid back down the bed in the infirmirary and rolled to the side, binding my face from my teacher. My head throbbed.

This is just the start.

* * *

It was easy planting seeds of doubt in my teachers, and I continued playing victim. I never saw Kaito again. I was able to finally start a fire, and I can finally take action.

After weeks of wandering around, searching the ground for some cigarette butts, I was able to collect a handful.

"Ietsuna, come down and eat breakfast!" I heard my mom call. I pocketed them, and answered back.

It was time to put things together.

* * *

"Sensei, can I please grab my bento? I forgot it in my bag in the classroom…" I shyly shuffled my feet. After the Kaito incident, teachers talked to their classes, and I think my own teacher talked to those who regularly hung out with Kaito because they started avoiding me, but also glared at me from their spot in the playground. Because of that, my teacher sometimes accompanies me, and even looks out for me in the playground.

She smiled kindly to me and escorted me to our classroom. She held the door open for me, but did not bother paying close attention to me. On my way to my seat, I slowed down near Yukimura Daiki's seat, where his bag was half-hazardly left open. I chuckled and went to grab my lunch. As I got to the door, I let a smoking cigarette butt fall a little bit behind me, hidden from the teacher's view.

I made my way back to the playground after thanking my teacher. Now I just have to wait.

* * *

"Before you leave today, I will be inspecting your bags, so open it when you get to the door. You can leave after."

I hid a smirk while everyone else grumbled. Part 1 of my plan is underway. I waited patiently behind the third person in line to the door when I felt someone push me from behind. I stumbled, and the teacher called out to me if I was okay. I reassured her that I was alright and I just stumbled. I went to the back of the line, ignoring Daiki's glare.

A few more minutes passed, when I heard "Daiki, stay behind." and a voice of complain. There was a slight commotion, but the teacher silenced Daiki with a stern look. When it was finally my turn, I gave him a smug look and trotted out when the teacher said I was clear. His look of anger was well worth it.

* * *

"Tsu-nii!" I waved excitedly at my brother. He shrunk in embarrassment, and I giggled.

I wasn't here to see my cute adorable, unfortunately. I caught sight of his shoe, and I yelled to him, "Nii-san, your shoes!"

He took one look at them and he panicked rushing back to the school to exchange his indoor shoes with his outdoor ones. While waiting, I looked for Yukimura Eiji. I marveled at the amount of students ready to see what I have prepared weeks for.

I caught sight of him, brooding and kind of frowny. He wasn't any taller than Tsu-nii, and certainly not even smart-looking. I definitely see the resemblance with his brother though.

Before he completely passed by me, I tugged on his bag. He turned and glared at me.

"Yukimura Eiji-san?" I greeted pleasantly.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Who are you?"

"I heard about you a lot from your brother," I continued. "I definitely see the resemblance."

"You're that foreigner," he said.

Giggling, I answered him. "How rude. Just like your brother. No wonder he got suspended from school."

He grew angry, and be stepped up to me. I had to look up to meet his eyes. "What do you know? You better shut your mouth about him."

"Hey, I helped him you know," I smiled. "Where else could he get cigarettes and a lighter from?"

His eyes widened at the implications, and he grabbed my collar and shook me.

"You!" He spat. "You did that!"

I flashed him a grin before yelping loudly, attracting as much attention as I can. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

In a lower voice, I said to him, "He deserved it."

With a yell, he punched me hard and I fell on the ground, gasping. I can feel a black eye forming already. It wasn't hard to start crying after that.

Amidst Eiji's angry yells and slurs at me, I can see the crowd of students already forming. I'm thankful that Hibari-san is already in Middle school, although he still patrols around the elementary school sometimes. He wouldn't have been happy with all the crowding.

"What are you doing to my brother?!"

Everyone parted when Tsu-nii yelled, his hands closed into fists, and his irises flashing orange. I gaped at him, amazed, but I reminded myself that I have a role to play. I started sobbing while clutching my throbbing eye.

"I-I don't know…" I hiccupped. "Oniisan just started threatening me…" I frowned more and cried.

"You liar!" Eiji pointed angrily at me. "You know exactly what you did!" He advanced towards me, but my brother stepped right in front of him.

"Leave my brother alone," Tsu-nii said. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"Get out of my way!" Eiji swung his fist at my brother, but Tsu-nii leaned back. He lifted his hands in front of him. "Yukimura-san, please calm down."

"Shut up!" The other boy once again tried to land a hit at my brother, but my brother is not Hibari-san's favorite punching bag for nothing. He sidestepped Eiji's attack again, but the other boy kept attacking, growing more and more frustrated by the moment.

"You're dead, Dame-Tsuna! You and your brother!"

Tsu-nii's eyes flashed, and after evading an attack, he slid right behind Eiji and hit him on the back of the neck. The boy fell like rocks, and everyone was silent.

"Nii-san!" I cried to him and wrapped my arms around his torso. "Nii-san, I was so scared!"

"It's okay, it's okay," he comforted me, patting my back while I pretended to sob.

"Nii-san, you're always there for me… You fought against bears and you defended me from yakuza! Even though Hibari-san is busy with middle school now, I still feel safe, because you're here to protect me!"

I can hear murmurs starting up around us, and I smiled up to my brother. "You're the best!"

He smiled tiredly and nervously, not used to be being surrounded by people

* * *

After that display, he wasn't the "dame" Dame-Tsuna anymore, he was just the "clumsy" Dame-Tsuna, who wasn't maybe fun of, or ridiculed. I watched from the gate of his school as he was greeted with friendliness, and an occasional laugh when he nearly trips over his own foot. Because now, everyone knows what he is capable of.

I mentally patted myself on the back for a job well done.

* * *

Omake

I trudged inside my house, calling out "I'm home!"

Tsu-nii came by, looking worried at me. I grinned sheepishly.

"Ietsuna, where have you been? Its almost dark… And why do you smell?" He wrinkled his nose at me. He looked so adorable.

"Ah," I scratched the back of my head. "Gomu-san gave me a gift and I dropped it somewhere…"

"Somewhere? Did you dig inside trashcans to look for it?"

"Yep!" I answered. Behind my back, my hand fiddled with a single empty fancy lighter.

* * *

**Well, nobody's gonna mess with the Sawada's now. Not without repercussions anyways.**

**And yeah, Ietsuna is evil. But he will get what he deserves later. Karma and all. **

**Like it? Hate it? Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**All new chapter woohoo!**

**Thank you to all the people who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! I wouldn't have been forced to write this if it wasn't for you lovely people. Love you all. **

**I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

* * *

Dear Hibari-san,

I would just like to say that I appreciate what you do for the town and it's inhabitants. As a lowly herbivore, I do not think I am ready to face you, and confront you about my feelings. I just wanted you to know that I admire you very much. I like you, Hibari-san!

27

* * *

I rolled my eyes as my mother gushed over the sales for chocolate. Valentines day is fast approaching, and Nana, who is already married, and will most likely be getting a common (not to mention always late) gift of roses from her ignorant husband, was just as excited as Tsu-nii feeling dreadful. For as long as any of us can remember, Tsu-nii had never actually gotten chocolates from anybody.

(The one instance that he did, I told him it was from mom.

It was okay. We both knew it was her.)

Even I got pity chocolate from teachers in my school.

Anyways, I briefly announced to Nana that I was going to the anime store next door and leaving immediately as soon as I asked. She knows where I always go, so she stopped worrying the second time that I went missing before.

* * *

Dear Sasagawa Ryohei-kun,

I think you're very EXTREME. I'm too shy to reveal myself for now, but I want to let you know that I admire you very much.

27

* * *

I stared over my afternoon snack as Tsu-nii walked in, smiling goofily. He nearly smacked against the wall, and instead tripped on the leg of a chair in his way to scavenge food from the fridge.

"Oww…" I stared while Tsu-nii's eyes watered slightly and he rubbed his arm. The view from above gives him the perfect moe look, and I stored that information in my head for later use.

"Careful, nii-san. You've suffered enough brain damage already."

"You're so mean, Ie-chan…"

"Anyway," I continued. "Why are you so cheerful today?"

He chuckled goofily, "Kyoko-chan is baking chocolate cake for everyone during Valentine's Day! Isn't she lovely?"

I grit my teeth. That girl sure got some manipulative methods. Resorting to bribery for the admiration of her classmates? I will not let her beat my brother!

I jumped up and shook my brother.

"Nii-san! You are cuter than her!"

"What?"

I bit my lip in worry. My brother is fully unaware of his charms, and thus unable to use it. As young as I am, I wasn't able to instill the confidence social children his age had developed, and he had grown up influenced by people's focus on his negative aspects. At the present moment, I am unable to help him grow confident in himself, I believe only Reborn could actually do that, but I can at least help convince some people, certain people who hold significant roles in my brother's future, to look closely at him. To fully see Sawada Tsunayoshi, and make them realize and acknowledge how precious he is. Although that's all I could do for now, I fear the impending future when I will be unable to help anymore.

* * *

Dear Yamamoto Takeshi-kun,

You probably received a lot of letters and chocolates already, but I hope this gets to you. I've always admired you from afar, and I think you're amazing, especially with baseball. You seemed to shine whenever you play, although I can't help but notice that you seem sad sometimes. I want to let you know that you are not alone, and whenever you feel sad and lonely, please remember me. I care about you a lot, Yamamoto-kun. This Valentines, I hope that you become happy.

27

* * *

"Aww who are you planning on giving those roses to, Ie-chan?" Nana teased as we exited the store she bought bargain chocolates and 3 red roses for me. It will be Valentine's day in a couple of days, and I have already made plans. It was just a matter of time.

"Mama?" I asked. "Do you think Hibari-san would make a good husband for Tsu-nii?"

We walked silently for a few moments. I peeked behind my lashes and saw that Nana had an unusual serious face on.

Then, she answered.

"Hibari-san is… he takes his duties very seriously. Despite that, Mama thinks that Hibari-san will protect Tsu-kun very well," she turned and smiled at me. I sensed a 'but' within her words. I didn't get an answer. Instead, she smiled at me. "For now Tsu-kun has Ietsuna to protect him, right?"

"Right…" I nodded along.

When we arrived home, Nana went immediately to her room (or what's supposed to be her and her husband's room). As I passed by to go to my room, I saw that her door was open. I caught her sitting on the bed with her back to me, holding her wedding photo. Not knowing what to say, I left.

* * *

3rd person POV

The day before Valentine's day, Yamamoto got a pleasant surprise. His dad gave him a smirk and a knowing look as he handed over a red rose, and a letter addressed to him that was apparently left behind by a customer. Signing, he took his things up to his room. Turning the letter over, he didn't see any signature or name. He wondered who it could be from. He opened it and read what it said.

With a light blush on his cheeks, he turned to stare at the rose contemplatively.

"Nii-san, nii-san!"

Kyoko slammed her brothers door open, looking like she ran entirely from school to home. She thrusted a letter and a red rose in his direction, wheezing. Ryohei took the letter and the rose, looking very confused.

"It's… for you…" Kyoko breathed. "Sorry I read it."

The older kid shrugged and read the letter. Color rushed to his cheeks, and he pumped his arms in excitement.

"I've never gotten a love letter before!"

* * *

Hibari read the contents of his letter once again. Eyes narrowed, he focused on the number printed at the end of the message. 27. He knew exactly who it was. He crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash, preparing to make his way to Namimori Elementary. On his way out, he remembered the rose that he saw with the letter.

He let a small smirk enter his face. But the smirk was short lived. As soon as he turned to a corner, he faced a crowd, with the resident boxing nut making a commotion. The smirk fell off his face when he heard him yell.

"27! WHERE ARE YOU?! 27!"

Hibari scowled and marched to Sasagawa Ryohei. The other boy got a similar rose and letter in one hand. The crowd parted easily for the prefect, curious as to how he will deal with the situation.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The boxed grinned and held up a letter. It looked like the one Hibari got. "I got a love letter! Isn't that EXTREME?!"

Hibari snatched the letter and read it's contents. His eyes narrowed at the number written at the bottom as a signature. His hand curled, crumpling the offending piece of paper. Anger flaring inside him, he all but growled at the surrounding students.

"Get back to class or I will bite you to death."

The hallway cleared in 3 seconds. Without throwing a glance at the boxer, who was making a big fuss about his letter, Hibari marched out of the school, and into the elementary school, Ryohei tagging along him.

* * *

It was nearly time for Kyoko to share her delicious cake with everyone. Tsuna nearly drooled at the artistic construct he planned to bring home and admire for a few hours then actually eat. He had dreamt about this since months before, and now it's within reach…

SLAM

Everybody jumped at the sudden opening of the door. They all paled when they saw who it was. The demon prefect and the extreme boxing enthusiast of Namimori stepped in. Kyoko waved excitedly to her brother, her greeting being reciprocated back. Hibari marched up to Tsuna and forcefully slammed a piece of paper on his table.

"Explain."

"W-wha–"

"Hey, careful with my letter!" Ryohei shouted. Kyoko left her cake and went over to Tsuna's table getting a look at the letter again. Around them, murmurs started amongst their classmates.

"Ehh? Sawada-san, you know who wrote this love letter to my brother?"

"REALLY?"

Ryohei perked up and leaned close, curiosity shining in his eyes. Tsuna gulped and leaned back. Thankfully, Hibari pushed both siblings out of his way and dragged Tsuna out of class. Unfortunately, they also followed him out. Tsuna call could hear the cries of outrage from his class, and his teacher yelling for the class to be quiet and to wait for Kyoko to come back.

They got to the roof where Hibari shoved the paper right in Tsuna's face. Tsuna read the letter, and pales at the digits written at the bottom of the page. Trembling, he peeked behind and saw Hibari, Ryohei, and Kyoko's expectant faces. He gulped.

"I..I don't…"

"You wrote this as a love letter for Sasagawa Ryohei," Hibari stated, crumpling the letter. Ryohei and Kyoko squawked indignantly. Kyoko bravely swiped the letter from Hibari and straightened it as much as she can.

"N-no, I didn't!" Tsuna denied, shaking his head.

"Wait, he's 27?" Ryohei asked.

Hibari aimed a punch at Tsuna, which he avoided with a tilt of his head. "Stop stuttering," there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

"That's horrible!"

Tsuna turned to Kyoko, surprised. The girl was frowning at him, making him a bit nervous.

"Do you mean to say this was all a trick? You're so cruel, Sawada-san! Lying to people like this would hurt their feelings."

"Actually, I'm okay," Ryohei said. "I was just a bit interested on who wrote the letter–"

Kyoko grabbed Tsuna's hands. "Did you hear that? My brother is interested in you. Are you lying about all those things from your letter? Do you actually not admire my brother?"

Tsuna felt light headed, blood rushing up to his face. Kyoko-chan was holding his hands! "Of course I admire him," Tsuna said absentmindedly. "I like you Sasagawa-san!"

He froze, blushing even harder. He accidentally confessed to Kyoko-chan while they were talking about her brother! What would she think?

"I knew it!" Kyoko gave him a winning smile. Beside her, Ryohei was blushing as well, running a hand through his hair. "Do you mean that, Sawada? You like me?"

No. No. No no nonononononon– it can't be. They didn't misunderstand, right? Tsuna can feel his thoughts running wild.

"I don't mind–" Ryohei started.

"No."

Hibari made his presence known again. This time, he was giving an evil eye to Ryohei. "Sawada Tsunayoshi is too busy to start a relationship with you."

"What?"

"Tsunayoshi has his brother, school work, and afterschool activities to worry about."

"After School activities?' Kyoko asked.

"Daily sparring…with me. He doesn't have time for you."

"I'm in the boxing club, Tsuna can spar with me instead–"

"Unacceptable. You don't get to call him by his first nam–"

"Nii-san can handle teaching Sa–"

"Keep out of this, Sasagawa Kyo–"

As the three argued amongst themselves, Tsuna silently slipped back into the building, tiptoeing down the stairs. He inwardly lamented on the strangeness of his everyday life, and scurried back to class. Turning on a corner, he managed to accidentally crash into someone and trip over his own feet at the same time. He fell forward on the person, catching himself on the other's chest.

"Hie! I'm sorry–ah! Yamamoto-san!" Tsuna scrambled off the other boy, apologizing profusely. He stood, dusting off his pants nervously.

"Mah, it's alright. Although you look familiar… ah! Dame-Tsuna, right?"

Tsuna hung his head. "Yeah that's me… Here," Tsuna extended a hand to the popular baseball player. Yamamoto stared at his hand for a moment, and took it, smiling when he was pulled up. "Thanks."

"It's no problem. Hmm… something good happened today, Yamamoto-san?"

The taller boy scratched his cheek. "You could tell?"

Tsuna shrugged. "You just seem happy and expectant today. Are you expecting something?"

"Yeah," Yamamoto nodded glancing at Tsuna. "You could say that."

They stood there awkwardly for a second, then–

"SAWADAAAAAAAA!"

"EEK!" Tsuna dashed off, to Yamamoto's amusement. A blur that looked like Hibari Kyoya and Sasagawa Ryohei sped past, followed by Sasagawa Kyoko, who could not keep up with the speed of the two boys up front, still was fast regardless. He wondered what that was all about.

Shrugging it off, he turned and walked back to his classroom, his mind wandering off to '27'...

* * *

Ietsuna POV

It took me years of wandering to finally get a glimpse of Kawahira. It took me a while to recognize him, although i knew he was an important character in my brother's life. I mean, who else would have white hair but look like a young adult? The traditional yukata also gave him away as a unique character rather than a young adult with a unique sense of style. It wasn't some sort of fateful meeting where we met eyes, and i knew from the twinkle of his mystifyingly dark eyes that we were going to get involved in a chaotic chain of events together. It wasn't a walk in the park where one of us would come across the sleeping form of another and creepily staring until their wake. Nothing like that at all.

I came across him, or rather my mother did, at the supermarket. During Valentines Day. They reached for the same fish, the biggest one in the pile and refused to let the other have it.

"Ara, a real gentleman would have let a woman get the fish," Nana said, her voice uncharacteristically cold.

The white haired man smiled back, holding the same level of coolness my mother is directing towards him. "I believe in equal opportunity, don't you?"

"Mama," I dropped in between them. I held on to my mother's skirt, and met eyes with her. "Let's share."

I turned to Kawahira, and with the most childish voice I can muster, i said, "My Mama is the best cook ever! Fishie will taste good if Mama cook."

At my declaration, Nana looked torn between pride and hesitation. She pat my head and actually let go of the fish. "It's okay Ie-kun. We can have nikujaga instead. We don't want to bother Mr. Stranger about this." It didn't miss my attention that she emphasized the word stranger when talking to me.

Coming from the woman who let strangers into her house for years in the canon story.

Kawahira also let go of the fish, staring intently at me. He hummed, before glancing back at Nana. "What a bright child," he commented. I tried not to fidget. "I change my mind. I'll have ramen today."

He turned and left, leaving my mother to snatch the fish up like nothing happened. I watched him walk away. I try not to be full of myself, but Kawahira is the overseer of the Tri-ni-set, the device that manages the balance of power in this world. I myself knew that I was not supposed to be here, so if I appeared out of nowhere and started making changes, wouldn't that have affected the balance somehow?

He didn't do anything or acknowledge me other than that short observation, so perhaps he don't care or didn't notice. Maybe I was just giving myself a small headache thinking too much about this. I managed to drift off from that thought by the time Nana ushered me to the cash register to pay for our groceries.

* * *

Extra:

Nana loves romance stories. She loves the soft fluffy feeling that one gets when reading a love story, or watching a romantic movie. She embraces the feeling when the heart flutters, or when it tightens. Nana absolutely adored love stories.

Maybe it was because having a love story, like all of the books she read, all the movie she watched, all the stories she heard, that made her wish for such thing.

Or maybe because she finds herself lacking, both herself, and her love life, because her husband is not there, and because maybe she and her her sons, _their_ sons, aren't enough to make him stay.

"Mama? Do you think Hibari-san would make a good husband for Tsu-nii?"

Nana was not opposed to her sons, any of them, having relationships with other boys. In fact, she finds it rather refreshing and cute. But that question made her think for a bit.

Not because her younger son implied a romance between his older brother and another boy.

It's because her younger son implied a romance between his older brother and a certain other boy.

Hibari Kyoya.

She wouldn't disapprove. In fact, she believes that Hibari Kyoya is a wonderful boy who works hard to enforce and maintain peace in the neighborhood, and as a resident of the town under his watch, she is very grateful. He would certainly protect her Tsu-kun. This is one love story she would love to see blossom.

But.

Hibari Kyoya reminds her of her husband.

And if there is a romantic involvement between him and her son, she wonders.

What he would deem important, his duty as a protector (a guardian) or her son?

* * *

**Note: At this point, Hibari still do not see Tsuna as a love interest. BUT Tsuna and Ietsuna are the only other kids other than Kusakabe that he interacts with and he doesn't want to share. Also Kawahira. I literally don't know if I did his character right. I have to reread the series.**

**Well, here it is. I hope you all enjoyed it, and please leave a review to show what you thought about this chapter.**


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